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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL Number 11. July 2025 Pp. 65-80
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Department of College English, Wenzhou Business College, Zhejiang, China
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Amid the accelerating integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into English teaching, existing research remains fragmented and lacks a holistic understanding of the field’s evolution. To address this gap, the present study offers a pioneering bibliometric analysis that integrates performance analysis with science mapping to systematically outline the research landscape of AI in English teaching. Specifically, it seeks to answer four research questions concerning publication trends, highly cited documents, influential contributors and dominant research themes. Drawing on data extracted from the Scopus database spanning 1982 to 2025, screened in accordance with the PRISMA methodology, and analysed using VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, and Bibliomagika. The study identifies a sharp increase in publication activity in recent years, although citation growth has remained comparatively moderate. Seminal contributions, such as Hsu (2017) and influential source titles like Computers and Education, are found to play pivotal roles in shaping the field. In terms of geographical distribution, China emerges as the most prolific and internationally collaborative contributor. Further analysis reveals a discernible shift from conventional AI-assisted tutoring systems towards more interactive, adaptive, and personalised learning environments, accompanied by increasing interdisciplinary integration. By offering a comprehensive synthesis among the earliest in this research domain, the study not only deepens understanding of AI’s pedagogical potential but also provides valuable insights and strategic directions for future empirical research and practical applications across diverse educational contexts.
Zhou, X., Sulaiman, N.A., Ismail, H. H. (2025). Tracing the Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in English Teaching: A Bibliometric Analysis. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL (11): 65-80
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Xuanxuan Zhou is a PhD candidate in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), with five years of teaching and research experience in higher education. Her research centres on online resource-based English teaching, particularly exploring the pedagogical integration of emerging technologies.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7070-8348
Nur Ainil Sulaiman is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education of UKM, specialising in TESL, vocabulary learning, and sociolinguistics. Her research focuses on advancing online English instruction and second language acquisition. She holds a PhD and has published influential work in internationally renowned journals. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6212-7494
Hanita Hanim Ismail is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education of UKM, specialising in TESL and English literature. Her research focuses on enhancing teaching methods, curriculum development, and materials for English instruction.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3121-8822